Claudia “Maxine” Harris describes herself as an “early bird.” She rises before the sun and always starts the day off with prayer. “That’s my spiritual cup of morning coffee,” she explains. “It puts me in the right frame of mind for the rest of my day.”Like clockwork, Maxine is usually the first one at her PSC in Huntsville, Alabama. There she scurries about making sure everything is clean and ready for patients. “I’m someone who likes to stay busy, and getting in early helps me get a jump on the day.” Applying Everyday ExcellenceMaxine applies the principles of Everyday Excellence in all that she does as a Phlebotomist. She welcomes the principles (being customer focused, knowledgeable, a professional, service driven and all about quality) in large part because she sees them as already incorporated into her overall faith.For Maxine, a member of the Daystar Seventh Day Adventist Present Truth Ministry, it’s her faith that motivates her to do her best each and every day. “Every patient that sits in that chair could be one of us or a family member,” she says. “What each of us at Quest does helps determine a patient’s diagnosis. I have to do it right.” Connecting with one patient at a timeDoing it right describes Maxine’s recent recognition (as described by Geraldine Bennett, a Supervisor in the Southwest Region): An elderly woman had come in and really needed to talk to someone. It turns out that the patient’s husband had died recently and she just needed to vent. I was touched that Maxine took the time to sit “eye to eye” and chat with this patient, whom she had never met before. I could tell they had connected because as the patient left, she said, “I did not mean to tell you my whole life story, but thank you for talking with me. I enjoyed it so much.” Sharing her giftMaxine got started in healthcare by hearing about a phlebotomy course while working in a nursing home in Nashville, Tennessee. She jumped at the chance and while “terrible at the books,” Maxine had a natural gift for drawing blood and dealing with people. She quickly developed a reputation for accurate blood draws. “When resticks were needed, I became the one they’d call.” She has now been with Quest (and its predecessor companies) for 25 years.“I love interacting one-on-one with patients. I am grateful to be blessed with a gift. A smile and a simple, helpful gesture go such a long way with our patients.” - Maxine Harris, Phlebotomist
